New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-10
HARLEM SHIP CANAL BEGUN.
AWARDING THE FIRST CONTRACT.

A sxrrcu OF TIVE MOVEMENT WHICH WAS BEGUN
FIFTEEN YEARS AGo-THE LINE OF THE CANAL.
The first step toward beginning work on tile proposed
Harlem Snip Canal was taken yesterday. Bids were
opened for excavating 100000 cubic yards OF material
from a cut Dyckman's Meadows
The idea OF making navigabe water course between
the East River and Hudson River way OF Spuyten
Duyvil Creek first suggested about fifteen years
ago. The realization of the project was provided TOT oy
the River AMI Harder Improvement bill OF June 10
1874 The surveys were at onco placed N tho ahds Oh
General Newton The difficult point in the Improvement
of the Harlem River is the connection OF that river
with the Hudson Spuyten Duyyil Creek, which forms
Che natural connection Is both narrow and crooKoa'
General Newtons survey covered four lines along WHICH
this connection might be made, namely, by way Oh
sherman's Creek to Inwood or Tubhy Hook on tho
Hudson: from shermans Creek to bend OF spnyten
Duyv Creek JohnsOn's Foundry; by cut through
Dyckman's Meadows to the Spuyten Duyvi; through
epuyten Duyvil Creek by way OF kingshridge iha'
through Dyckmans Meadows was the least expensive
and was recommended The proposed lines Oh 'ne I'M
provcment are follows Below the Harlem or ihru
Avenue Bridge the pier and takhead lines as id
down by the Park Department are adopted a'ove inc
Third Avenue Bridge to the entrance OF oyckmans cut
into the Harlem River tho exterior and buKhcaa mes
ara laid dewn 400 feet apart; the line following pycH
mans cut through Dyckman's Meadows VIII pass for
part OF the way, through solid rock and here VIII Dc .s
principal cost this part therefore. will be made but 800
feet wide; the remainder CT the limo follows spuyten
Duyv Creek and is 10 be 400 feet wide
DIFFICULTIES TO OVERCOME.
difference In tho heights and times OF tides between
the East and Hudson Rivers after the connection IS
male between the Harlem and HIdson Rivers VIII pro-
duce the garments upon which reliance placed 10 Keep
the channel O2en Observations under the present coz
ditions on the tides affecting these waters show that
there is not exchange OF tides between the Harlem
River anil spnycn Dnyvil Creek but that tSerc Is prac
noaly a divide, somewhere near Foriham Bridge De-
tween the tides nowbg from Zee East River Into the
Harlem, and from the Hudson into spuyten DuyvI
Creek.
The first appropriation for the work. 100000. was
made in 1873 bat Congress at the same time passed
hill forbidding the use the unless the rghtOf
way should be obtained without cost to the Government
This obstruction not removed until tie beginning OF
this year. In June agreement was made WITH D. f.
Eobinson Of Philadelphia for doing hc work OF borIngs
snr determining the character OF substrata in the terri
tory II was found that In the cut following Spnrten
Duyvil Creek after leaving Dyclnans Meadows there
IA suLstratIIr from 60 10 thickness Of soft
mud The one great problem of the canal is how 10 pro-
tect its sides against these rcnarkahc walls oi hri
which will flank IT, The sides viii either have to he rip
present il not enough either of the cuts ard TIE
work specified III the advertisement for bids was tHoIe
fore restricted to a part OF the rock cut
THE sUCC sNFUL BIDDER
The bids for e,ctvating 10000 cubo yards from the
cut In Dyckmans Meadows were as follows; Bernarl
Mshor New York $525. 900; A. NJ. Newton, Ne~-I"rK'
S2Ol 900; T. SANFORD Ross. Jersey City, S2fI3oo;
John Cox * Co.. New-York, $l7s.5)0; Edward Moore,
Portland. Me, $4,000; George Turner, lonkers,
S2o1 $50; John satterlee Englewooi " j.. $lj',50O;
OBre1 Il Clark. New-Ycrk. $262,jOo; Evans Il Acker-
nan, Bmghantou $4,000; John sullivan. Catskili.
SlsS,5oo rhoiaas F. Nancy Co d b'stoh
Brown, New-lcrk. S2Gi.730; william J.: Dean New
York, S2l0OJJ. TEe sureties of Mr. Sttterler the
lowest hfdcr will be exam!sed AZ II they ara
found safe Saeree will receive tie contract within yen
days worb the DyckIaan cut must be begun within